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Venka Barashti
Character Information Name (first and last): Venka Barashti State whether this is a Traditional or a Salidar character: Traditional Age (Traditional = 14-19 / Salidar = 20-70): 16 Nationality: Arafellian Description Hair: Dark Brown Eyes: Brown Skin: medium golden brown Height:5'6" Voice:mid-range, crisp, quick Other:Not fat but stocky--this is someone who has worked hard most of her life and it shows in a sturdy frame and more muscles than many have. She isn't particularly striking with her looks--her nose is overly long and her jaw overly strong--but she has a definite intensity to her that draws the eye and holds it. She was never one to dress in silks or velvets before she came to the Tower and this does not seem likely to change after her time in the Tower. Many of her outfits are tailored for riding but she does allow for the chiming bells that Arafellians prefer on both themselves and their horses. Personality: Venka is a rather take-charge sort of woman. A Borderlander through and through, she has much of the toughness and practicality that tends to characterize the inhabitants of the region. Had she not come to the Tower, she likely would have ruled her family through sheer force of personality; since she did come to the Tower, this same intensity has been directed into her work. She is loyal, faithful, and dedicated to those who matter to her. She is also driven, harnessing her own personal strength and desire to be Aes Sedai into a determined and intense work ethic. Optional Special Skills: Venka grew up as a member of a family that specializes in raising and training horses, both for regular riding and for use as war horses. She was riding ponies before she was even walking steadily and learned from a young age how to train and evaluate horses. As she grew older, she joined in on the merchant-side of the business and had a local reputation in her area of Arafel for being a shrewd and merciless trader and judge of horseflesh. Though she is not as good in training as many other members of her family, she is an excellent horsewoman and can safely handle and ride war-trained horses as well. Weaknesses: Stubborn to a fault, Venka is reluctant to admit when she is wrong. This can extend to her becoming set on a certain mindset or interpretation of a set of facts. When she will finally admit that she is wrong, it is often admitted in a gruff, chopped voice and with little grace. She is often blunt to a fault. Her personal drive for the shawl often gets extended to those around her, giving her the reputation (often deserved) for being a brown-nosing sycophant. This often widens the gulf between herself and her fellow students. She is almost violently strong in her opinions about men who can channel and how they should be handled. She does not believe that rough treatment for these men is appropriate (unless the man gets purposefully violent) and believes they need to be handled with compassion--especially once the Gentling process is finished. She is not afraid to voice these opinions in a public fashion, even if it means that she will face even more social isolation. History Born the fourth of six children in a small village in southern Arafel, Venka Barashti grew up in a family of horse breeders and traders. The Barashti family has a reputation for raising both normal and war mounts and, as a result, has enough money to be rather comfortable, living and working in a sprawling compound of homes and barns. Growing up in such a location, it is unsurprising that Venka was tossed on ponyback before she was even reliably toddling. Like her siblings, Venka preferred to be out with the horseherds, though she was corralled long enough each day to get a fairly solid background in reading, writing, and all the math that merchants would need. While she also received some education on geography and history, it was mostly in terms of Borderland history and mostly phrased in ways most useful for a merchant family. By the time she was approaching adulthood, Venka and two of her female cousins were being groomed for the business side of the family, while most of her siblings were being trained for the animal training side. When Venka was fourteen, her oldest (and favorite) brother Opadal began to exhibit strange behavior and odd coincidences. His behavior became so erratic that most in the family began to avoid him and he was often sent out to the pastures of the furthest herd groups to get him away from others. Venka often attached herself to him during these rides, stubbornly refusing to allow him time alone--and more than a little concerned about what would happen if he -was- left alone. Whispers started in the village and soon extended farther out that the young man had begun to channel. It was no surprise then, less than a month later, that a pair of Aes Sedai arrived. It also didn't take long for it to be known that the pair were of the Red Ajah and were here to assess and Gentle Opadal. What struck Venka, once the deed was done (Opadal weeping in relief when the pair was finished), was the compassion the Reds showed, not only to Opadal but also to the family at large. He managed to last two years after being Gentled before wasting away from sorrow, largely due to the efforts made by those Sisters. And upon reaching the age of sixteen, Venka chose to journey to the White Tower--for one of those Sisters had tested her and informed her that she could learn to channel Saidar.Novice Category:Novice Bios